Chattogram Port, the country’s leading port, has risen three places to secure the 64th position among the top 100 busiest global ports in the 2022 edition of Lloyd’s List One Hundred Ports, the world’s oldest journal focusing on port and shipping news.

According to the recently published 2023 edition of the journal, the container throughput figures for global ports in 2022 revealed that Chattogram port experienced a 2.2% decline in container handling. 

The port managed a total of 3,142,504 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers in 2022, down from 3,214,548 TEUs in the previous year.

The port had been continuously advancing in the global rankings since 2014, but in the 2021 edition, it slipped nine places to rank 67th. 

This decline was primarily attributed to decreased container traffic in 2020, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on garment exports.

Port officials argued that capacity limitations were the reason for the recent fall in container handling. However, they also pointed out external factors such as the Russia-Ukraine war and import restrictions on luxury goods, which affected container traffic in 2022.

Despite the setback in container handling, overall cargo and ship handling at the port saw an increase in the previous year. 

Some experts expressed optimism about a positive turn in the global economy and emphasized the need to expedite the port’s expansion projects, including the construction of Bay Terminal, to enhance its capacity.